


For (Shits and) Giggles

by raindrop_rouge



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Awkwardness, Bad Weather, M/M, Oblivious Eren Yeager, Pining Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Teenagers, gossiping parents, oblivious levi too tbh, wood explorations!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 12:17:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7103032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raindrop_rouge/pseuds/raindrop_rouge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Only for giggles really. More specifically Eren’s. Eren thinking he’s some woodland explorer, and Levi needing to get in touch with his feelings. Eren’s laughter might help with that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For (Shits and) Giggles

He could hear laughter drifting up the stairs from the dining room. Cringing, he flopped back down on his bed. Going downstairs and coming back up again unnoticed was going to be difficult. But he really needed his phone charger. _Why_ did he have to leave it on the kitchen counter? He’d already quickly said hi to all the guests before retiring to his room for the night, letting anyone see him again was bound to be awkward. Right? They might stop him to ask questions. Or worse, they could pretend not to see him but then steer the conversation topic over to him. His mother was not usually overly expansive when it came to her son – _thanks, mom_ -, but she always did loosen up around Carla Jaeger.

Carla Jaeger was a very kind woman. A great hostess too. Of course Levi would’ve known, he’d possibly spent as much time at her house as at his own. On one hand, that she got along great with his mother was fortunate. When he was a kid, it was easier to convince his mom to drop him off at the Jaeger’s. On the other hand, she was very motherly and Levi did not need two moms gushing about him. He wondered how Eren felt about it.

_Eren_. His best friend since he was little. His only close friend really. Eren, whom he would not be able to keep texting if he did not go and retrieve that damn charger. _God dammit_ , Levi cursed, throwing his legs off his bed as he finally headed out of his room.

He managed to sneak down the stairs without making them creak – he had years of practice to thank for that – and dove into the kitchen. He tensed, wondering if anyone had seen him make the leap from the hallway. The conversation carried on uninterrupted. Sweet. He grabbed his charger and darted back out, not slowing down until he had reached the bottom of the stairs again.

He had just begun climbing back upstairs, mentally preparing for his victory dance, when he heard it. A lull in the conversation. Followed by his name.

Levi froze. _Please don’t call out to me oh no they saw me it’s all over_ … Holding his breath, and almost against his own will, he listened intently.

“… sorry he made a habit of it, Carla.” Ah. That was his mother.

“Oh come on now Kuchel you should know by now that it’s never a problem! Eren always has loads of people over anyway.”

Levi frowned at that. It was true. Eren was always with one friend or another. The kind warmth emanating from him just drew in so many. He was as bright and radiant as Levi was gloomy. Levi shook his head. Thinking about that always led to unnecessary and unpleasant introspection. Levi was Eren’s friend and that was that _. But we_ are _so… different._ He forced himself to focus on the conversation carrying on below.

“It’s your fantastic baking that draws them all in, Carla,” another voice rose, followed by soft laughter.

_No that’s not true_. Levi’s brows furrowed. Carla’s cake-making skills most certainly were out of this world. But everyone always went to find out what Eren was up to. The over-energetic kid had unparalleled imagination and was constantly making new ‘discoveries’, as he called them, in the woods behind his house or elsewhere. He could see the world as no one else could, but was always sure to include others in his adventures. Levi had the creativity of a brick yet Eren always welcomed him with contagious enthusiasm and unnecessarily loud descriptions of what he was doing. All so Levi could join in.

Yes, with the possible exception of Sasha, everyone went there for Eren. Or at least Levi definitely did. That’s what friends do.

_But why is Eren friends with me?_

“…insist, Kuchel. You know, there’s always more laughter when Levi’s the one over visiting. It’s been that was since they were kids. It’s wonderful really.”

_Huh?_

“Your child‘s just very lively Carla,” came Levi’s mother’s soft reply. “And I’m glad. Someone’s got to make Levi live a bit.”

From where he was still perched on the stairs, Levi knew her furrowed brow was mirroring his. How could there possibly be more laughter around _him_? He never spoke much, even took some pride in being the silent type. He was less likely to be annoying that way. If he never annoyed the Jaegers it would probably still be okay to keep going over.

“Well it’s true we can still hear Eren when he’s pretty far into the forest. I mean, when that’s the case it’s actually pretty reassuring, you know? Sometimes we can even keep up with what he’s doing, like when he tried building a treehouse… Anyway, what was I saying?”

Levi smiled. Carla was so proud of her son. Good. Eren deserved parents who would never come between him and his ideas. He hoped Dr. Jaeger was the supportive type too. He never seemed to be around much, Levi didn’t know him that well.

“Oh right,” Carla had gathered her train of thought. “No, really I can see you doubting me Kuchel, why are you always so doubtful of everything I say?” Her tone was teasing, but she was probably pouting the way Eren would when Levi would refuse to take part in his new ideas of fun. “No really. Okay, fine, so Eren does laugh with all of his friends, but he gets even more hyper when Levi’s around. It’s like he goes straight back to his childhood, when giggling around Levi all the time was the standard in our home. Definitely not complaining of course.”

“Eren always was such a happy child,” Kuchel politely answered.

“Eh, he’s got his bad days too. Like all kids,” Carla mused.

Levi could barely make out Kuchel’s huff of amusement. “You mean like all _teenagers_ , which our sons have been for a little while now. Have you forgotten yet again?”

Levi did not want to hear what mothers could possibly have to say about teenage years. It was time to finally get back to his room. And see if Eren had texted him back.

***

After wishing Eren good night, Levi laid wide awake in bed. Well, that wasn’t unusual, but he had been really hoping to get some sleep tonight. He rolled over as he thought back to the conversation he’d overheard from the stairway.

Usually overhearing Carla and his mom discussing him and his friends would leave him feeling embarrassed. The degrees of intensity varied, the feeling did not. But tonight he felt a soft bubbling in his chest. Was he… happy? It seemed to be a bit more than that. Whatever it was, it was keeping him up. He might as well try to figure out what it was exactly, get over it and finally drift off in peace.

He was running through the conversation in his head before he actually got to it. “ _There’s always more laughter when Levi’s the one over visiting_ ”, Carla had said. Why was this hitting him so late? Levi huffed, frustrated at his delayed reaction. Earlier he’d just been surprised that he’d bring laughter anywhere at all. Now his brain was finally catching up with his emotions, and the implications made his heart beat faster.

_I can make Eren laugh_.

You’d think, after all their years of friendship, that this would be pretty obvious to anyone, starting with himself. But Eren had come to surround himself with people far more entertaining than he. Levi had come to conclude that he’d be one of Eren’s more banal friends. He was ok with that. As long as he still got to hang out with Eren.

But maybe… maybe Eren never really did see him as just plain and boring? Maybe Eren never really did just let him come over out of habit alone?

Levi curled into himself. _Does Eren really laugh all that much around me_? He ducked under the covers. It’d be nice if Carla wasn’t just saying that to be polite. It was a pleasant feeling, to believe Eren was happy and relaxed around him. Kuchel was always telling him he focused too much on the bad things. Eren helped him catch a break from his own negativity, but it dawned upon him how worried he had always been that he was just contaminating Eren with it.

Now though, was he just relieved to hear that was not the case? Levi squeezed his pillow, deep in thought. This was more than relief. More than happiness, he’d already concluded too. Unless this was just a lot of happiness? He wouldn’t be able to tell, after all. Yeah, he was just… really happy. And that made sense. He and Eren were friends (since when had he needed to repeat that to himself that often?). Friends are supposed to be relaxed around each other. So it was only normal for him to want Eren to be able to laugh freely around him.

As he finally fell asleep, it crossed his mind that he never really had paid attention to Eren’s laugh.  

***

“Levi! Look we can cross over on that thicker tree branch there!” Eren shouted way louder than was necessary.

“Eren I am literally right behind you, did you think I fell on my ass and was still stuck climbing the hill?” Levi spat, pretending to need to clamp his hands over his ears.

It was way too damn cold for him. But for Eren, no, it was a fine day, the sun was out and since it had rained the night before, _we really ought to enjoy being outdoors this afternoon because it can rain again anytime soon_. Or so Eren believed, and so he had told Levi when the latter had called to find out what he was up to.

Now they were back in the familiar forest at the edge of town. Harsh rains the past few months had reshaped the landscapes, making them somewhat unfamiliar to Levi, which he would only mind if Eren weren’t there. The brunet was acting like he was discovering everything for the first time, but Levi could tell he knew exactly where they were.

He shuddered. Eren had said that he just felt like going for a quick walk, but this was feeling like parkour to Levi’s frozen limbs. They had had to cling to surrounding trees to avoid slipping and going down the first slopes on their bums. Then Eren had chosen to make them trek uphill again, further into the woods. Climbing back up was impossible without solidly digging their feet into the ground and walking sideways. Levi had gritted his teeth, feeling humidity seep into his converse. Mud was everywhere and Eren was making an effort to find the path avoiding it most. Which was nice, but required they mainly step on leaves, which frequently hid holes of varying depths. Still, Levi was quite certain Eren would trudge right through the mud if he weren’t there. That thought was interfering with his frowning so he did not voice any complaints.

After that particularly steep hill though, he was starting to wonder why he’d even come out in the first place. But just then, Eren turned to him with a wide grin. And it magically came to him.

“Come on Mr. Grumpy-Pants, I could worry about others, but you’ll make it across that branch just fine!” Levi was not sure anything was fine at that moment. “Wait is that even a branch? It looks bigger…”

They approached the edge of what probably used to be a picturesque clearing, now ruined by a huge patch of mud splitting it in half. On a normal day Levi would have turned around instantly. But in that moment, he was too busy calming his heartbeat to protest as Eren kept going.

“Ooh Levi we’re in luck! See? I think it’s a dead tree lying across the mud, actually. A birch or something like that… Come on let’s go!” he exclaimed excitedly before bouncing off ahead.

Levi could list all the reasons to go home right then and there. The mud before him, and the fact that their path across was bound to be a slippery one, the clouds gathering over their heads, the fact that it was still _cold_ , and the completely unexpected thundering in his heart when Eren had flashed his brilliant smile at him.

It was a smile he knew well. The dimples framing it had always been there. The freckles shifting with his change in expressions would only appear in the summer. Often, it would be accompanied by laughter.

When Eren had looked at him, eyes shining as they always did when he smiled like that, Levi had suddenly felt so much more aware of all these details. The dimples had made him want to brush his thumbs gently over them. He had wanted to lean in close enough to guess where the freckles would appear when the warmer seasons would return. But above all, he had wanted to hear that laugh.

“Woah this thing’s a bit wobbly, don’t get on until I’m on the other side,” Eren called out to him, interrupting his daydreaming. The brunet was carefully making his way across the fallen tree, hands out on either side for balance.

_He’s probably sticking his tongue out too_ , Levi thought to himself. Before sighing- even in his own head that came across as far fonder than anticipated.

“Earth to Levi,” Eren was waving over to him from the other side of the clearing. “Levi come on I know you can make it over here just fine. Please? Don’t give up now!”

Was Eren actually worried he was just going to leave him there? That would probably be the rational thing to do but it was clear Levi’s ability to act rationally had flown out the window. Taking in a deep breath, he placed one foot on the first end of the dead tree.

Well, he was right about their bridge being slippery. Humidity would do that. And yet, Levi was finding it much more difficult to get across steadily than he had expected. He was trembling. Only barely, but more than his unstable footing warranted. His pride hoped it was just due to the cold, and not to Eren’s gaze as he waited on the other side.

He had gotten about halfway through when he heard it- a melodious and somewhat surprisingly high-pitched sound. He froze and looked up from where he’d been concentrating on his feet. Eren had a hand cupped in front of his mouth, which in no way hid his giggles.

“Levi,” he managed to articulate, “I’m sorry, I just really thought you’d waltz over here like it was no big deal, but you’re acting like each step is a matter of life or death. Hurry up already!”

A part of him was definitely recording Eren’s giggles. They were light and familiar, and Levi wondered why he’d never stopped to appreciate the sound sooner. But in that moment he was also wondering how Eren even dare mock him.

“Well excuse me for actually minding whether I get over there dry or splattered in dirt! And of course it’s harder for me, you dumbass, you tracked mud all over this tree on your way over, making it extra slippery and-“

-And it was a bad idea to be shouting and gesticulating while balancing on a slim and slippery dead tree. Levi’s heart stopped in horror as he felt his right foot slide off the edge and into the dreaded muck.

A moment passed, Eren’s mouth dropped open and his eyes popped wide, expression mirroring Levi’s own.

A sudden squeal of delight tore through the silence, followed by Eren’s yelling, “Aaaaand we have a swamp victim!” before bursting into laughter. Levi was still frozen as Eren bent over, clutching his stomach, wheezing, “Oh my god… oh my _god_ , Levi, your _face_ , I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, give me a minute, I just…” as echoes of his hilarity bounced around the clearing.

This was it. This was officially how far Levi would get in his life before breaking. Something in his brain had definitely fallen out of place, or there’s no way he would actually be feeling anything short of disgusted, with one foot deep in the muck-swamp. He could tell his socks were drenched already, and he was going to have to scrub his foot raw later. But for now, he was hypnotized by the boy before him.

Eren was always so full of life, and when he laughed, it was as though an excess of joie de vivre flowed out of him, energizing all those around him. His laughter was full of bliss and love for the world, seeking someone to share his exhilaration with.  The exuberance that formed the essence of the brunet was translated perfectly into the uplifting sound.

Levi had never realized how he’d been drawn to this animated boy like a moth to light, time and time again. Never before now, and the realization only made things worse. Eren’s laughter was music to his ears. He’d cringe at the cliché if he weren’t already cringing from his slip. But it was true. He’d gone to the Jaegers’ home repeatedly over the years, to see Eren and take part in his shenanigans of course, but always with the hope of catching a bit of the comforting sound. It was loud and joyful, sure, but to Levi it was also soothing in its familiarity.

He’d definitely remained unmoving, entranced a moment too long – _with a foot feeling grosser by the second-,_ because Eren had had the time to calm down, and shot him a worried glance. “You ok there, Levi? You look like you’re having heart attack or something. Is it that bad? Need me to come back and try to help you out?”

There was genuine concern in his tone, and Levi could not meet his gaze. Though the offer was tempting, it was unlikely they’d both make it back without falling again.

“What, you’re done making fun of me so you’re trying to play nice now?” he griped. “It’s fine don’t bother, stay right where you are, so you can laugh your ass off if I slip again.”

He felt warmer now, but doubted the outside temperature had anything to do with it. As he pushed off his left leg and caught his balance again, the sound of Eren’s laughter still danced around his head. He looked up to find his friend gazing at him encouragingly.

Taking his next steps, he wondered if it would be too obvious if he slipped on purpose.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who already showed this piece some love on good ol' tumblr! You're the best <3
> 
> Follow me @raindrop-rouge~


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